Tennessee, the Volunteer State
Rather than an Adventure on the Road, our journey in Tennessee may be better named Adventures in History and Geography!
When you were in school didn’t you always learn more on a field trip than in the classroom! Traveling through Tennessee on our road trip feels like a really long field trip! We experienced Music History, Railroad History and Civil War History.
The Music Capital
Nashville
Known by people all over the world, Nashville is the place to be if you are in the music industry. The whole city reverberates with the sounds of honky tonks, street performers and concerts in parks!
Grand Ole Opry
We attended an evening show (broadcast) at Grand Ole Opry, which is the longest running radio show in history, 98 years and counting! We came into a massive stadium and were treated to amazing entertainment. A variety of performers did two or three numbers each. The program is hosted by an emcee and broadcast on radio and TV. Performers from around the world consider it an honor to perform in the “circle” on stage at the Opry. A duo on the list of performers for the night, Dusty and Stones came all the way from Africa to experience their life time dream of performing here in Nashville at the Opry. Their smiles during their song told the whole story! Wish I had a picture of that!
Train Terminals
Nashville
We enjoyed visiting the renovated Union Station-Nashville Yards. The grand building which used to welcome travelers arriving by train, has been converted to a beautiful hotel, still catering to Nashville’s visitors. The grand terminal area has been retained to serve as the lobby for hotel guests. The soaring glass roofed space typical of train stations is now filled with seating around a fireplace. Coffee shops and restaurants provide a respite from the busy city streets.
Chattanooga
Construction of Chattanooga’s Terminal Station began in 1906 at the cost 1.5 million dollars. The depot grew to serve nearly 50 passenger trains a day. Over the years, the busy terminal greeted Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt.
By the late 1940’s, during the post World War II era, automobiles became the popular mode of transportation. Only two local and long distance trains remained at Chattanooga’s Terminal Station by the 1960’s. On August 11, 1970, the Birmingham Special became the last train to depart Terminal Station. Southern Railway vacated Terminal Station soon after.
A group of local businessmen who were inspired by the theme of the "Chattanooga Choo Choo" song, made famous by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, invested four million dollars to repurpose the historic building.
On April 11, 1973, Terminal Station was reopened to the public as the “Chattanooga Choo Choo Hilton and Entertainment Complex”.
Civil War
In 1890 Congress established Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park as a place to remember this tragic time of War between the States of the North and South. This was the first battlefield to receive the designation as a Military Park.
More than 600 stone and bronze monuments were erected on the battlefields here between 1890 and 1930. Union and Confederate Veterans of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga battles met a decade after the war at this battlefield. In a spirit of reconciliation, they designed and placed monuments and statues to commemorate the division of soldiers involved at that location. In doing so they created this Military Park and have preserved the land and the story of this very costly battle.
Because of Chattanooga’s strategic position along the river and at the intersection of North-South and East-West rail lines, both the Union and Confederate troops sought to gain control of this city. Its importance as a shipping hub made it a major military target. Divisions from the North and South were moving toward Chattanooga when they stumbled upon one another in a nearly impenetrable, vine-choked forest around Chickamauga Creek, not far from the city.
For a deeper understanding of the events that took place here, we joined a Ranger led tour of the Chickamauga Battlefield. Our guide was National Park Ranger William Lee White, a published author who has studied this battle extensively. As a National Park Ranger he educates visitors about the history behind this battle. He shared stories with us of the Generals and the men who fought in this terrible war. After orienting us in the visitor center at a map of the area, we caravanned in our vehicles to three of the battlefield’s main sites to hear the battle stories in the locations where they happened
Our time with Ranger White gave us an intimate look at the Civill War from the perspective of the average “soldier”, men as young as 12 or 13 whose only experience was on the family farm, men who were teachers or students at college, men from the North and the South, men under the command of Officers fighting against those they had attended Military School with. We felt the agony of those families whose fields were now the scene of horrific battles, families whose homes became field hospitals, families who were the first to see the battlefield strewn with the dead and wounded men who lay among the trees as the battle ceased. This multi-day battle produced great loss of life and left many wounded or missing men from both sides.
As I write this account of our visit to these hallowed grounds of the Civil War, terrible events are taking place in the Middle East. We are praying for those under attack in Israel, even now. Wars are an unwelcome, tragic part of our fallen sinful world. We eagerly long for the day when Jesus Christ will return and bring His Peace to reign on the earth! Until then we continue to pray for all families torn apart by current wars.
Burial Sites
In the bookstore at the Chickamauga Battlefield, there was a book titled “What did they do with the Dead”. This was a question troubling me. How are soldiers and civilians identified and laid to rest.
In Tennessee we passed by countless graveyards along small country roads. These were not orderly manicured cemeteries, but small graveyards set among the wooded hillsides, with small headstones so worn by years of wind and rain that it was indistinguishable who was buried there. Did theses small graveyards mark more battlefields of the Civil War?
We visited Chattanooga National Military Cemetery which was established in 1863. Here rows and rows of white headstones (nearly 64,500) memorialize the men and women who have fought for our nation, those who fought in the Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War and Vietnam. Some markers indicated that the veteran who was laid to rest here had fought in multiple wars. Other markers have no identification, the soldier buried there is unknown.
Standing near the cemetery’s entrance, a Monument surrounded by the graves of those known as “Andrew’s Raiders”, gives tribute to the first recipients of the Medal Of Honor.
Downtown there is a Museum that we visited which explains the significance of this highest of military honors. Life sized manikins are depicted in scenes which highlight the actions of some of the brave men and women who have been recipients of this high honor.
A Little Bit of Georgia
On our way east to Chattanooga Tennessee we took a little side trip south into Georgia. It was practically on the way, and in our trip research we read about Lookout Mountain, which extends through parts of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.
We camped for two nights at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia, situated along the ridge of Lookout Mountain. This location gave us time to enjoy the nearby historic attraction, Rock City Gardens.
“In the late 1920s, Rock City founders Garnet and Frieda Carter began to develop a large walk-through garden on their private estate.
In 1930, Frieda marked the original path by winding a string through the giant rock formations. By gathering and preserving over 400 varieties of plant life indigenous to the region, Frieda received national acclaim from the Garden Club of America for conservation and horticultural achievement. On May 21, 1932, the Carters opened Rock City Gardens to the public.”
With its a 4,100-foot Enchanted Trail winding through boulders, over and under bridges, though tunnels, along the cliff, and beside waterfalls, (with gardens along the way,) this was a delightful afternoon diversion.
The best part of the trail was the panoramic Seven State View! How often can you stand on one mountain top and view seven states? From our vantage point on the edge of Lookout Mountain’s cliffs we saw Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama! No wonder it is named Lookout Mountain!
Back to Tennessee
Chattanooga
Walking around in the downtown area, the city’s long and rich history is evident in its brick skyscrapers, warehouses, and renovation projects seeking to bring new life to old districts.
But it also seems to be a young and vibrant city with music festivals, parks, and walking paths along the riverfront. Many bridges cross the river. Both highway and railway bridges soared high above us on our riverside walking path. Although the walking path stretches for 16 miles we only covered a small portion of it! Steve had planned a surprise destination for us to experience here.
Erected in 1891, the Walnut Street Bridge is an old wood plank bridge connecting Downtown to the North Shore. Originally built to carry cars on two narrow lanes, it was reopened for pedestrian and bicyclists only in 1993 after two years of restoration. Its 2,376-foot-long span makes it one of the longest “Pedestrian-only Bridges” in the world! We enjoyed a stroll over the 98 foot high renovated bridge to the other side of the Tennessee River and back around sunset. Many families and couples were also enjoying the great weather for a late afternoon stroll!
Chattanooga impressed me as a city embracing its history and as a place of renewal. Although the Civil War nearly destroyed the city, it has been rebuilt to become a thriving community. In more recent years, instead of demolishing unused train stations, abandoned buildings, vacant factories and obsolete bridges they have been renovated and repurposed.
All Things New
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him (Jesus Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
II Corinthians 5:17-21 NKJV
Have you allowed
God, through the sacrifice of Jesus, to make all the broken pieces of your life new? He is the greatest restorer ever! We pray that God is at work in you to make you NEW!
Our
Adventures on the Road will bring us further East in Tennesse, so check back later for our fun In Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park!
(Here is a picture from 
